Supporting mechanism for multiple closures on bottom-dispensing vessels

ABSTRACT

A SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR SLIDING GATE CLOSURES USED ON BOTTOM-DISPENSING VESSELS WHICH HAVE MORE THAN ONE OUTLET. MECHANISM INCLUDES PIVOTED LEVERS FOR SUPPORTING THE OUTER EDGES OF A PAIR OF GATES AND SPRING-PRESSED YOKES FOR SUPPORTING THE CONFRONTING INNER EDGES. YOKES ARE MORE COMPACT THAN LEVERS FOR SUPPORTING INNER EDGES.

United States Patent Joseph H. Lanatti Penn Township, Westmoreland County; James T. Shapland, Wilkins Township,

[72] Inventors Allegheny County, Pa. [21] Appl. No. 791,717 [22] Filed Jan. 16, 1969 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [73] Assignee United States Steel Corporation [54] SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE CLOSURES 0N BOTTOM-DISPENSING VESSELS 3 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

[S2] U.S. Cl 222/481, 222/512, 222/561 [51] Int. Cl 867d 3/00 [50] Field of Search ..2l4/(lnquired);

222/556, 561, 567, 485,512, 505, 481; 298/27, 28; 105/282; 220/55 (G), 55 (E), 55 (H); 164/119, 133,136, 281, 337; 267/(lnquired) menu; $11!? [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,956,310 4/1934 Boyd l. ZZZ/512x 3,352,465 11/1967 Shapland .1 222/512 3,435,992 4/1969 Tisdale et al 164/281X Primary Examiner-Stanley Hi Tollberg Assistant Examiner- Norman L. Stack, Jr. Attorney-Walter P. Wood ABSTRACT: A supporting mechanism for sliding gate closures used on bottom-dispensing vessels which have more than one outlet. Mechanism includes pivoted levers for supporting the outer edges of a pair of gates and spring-pressed yokes for supporting the confronting inner edges. Yokes are more compact than levers for supporting inner edges.

PATENTH] JUN28 19/:

INVENTORS JOSEPH H. LANATT/ 8 JAMES r. SHAPLAND ay/fitaz/ Attorney SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR MULTIPLE CLOSURES ON BOTTOM-DISPENSING VESSELS This invention relates to an improved mechanism for supporting sliding gate closures on a bottom-dispensing vessel.

Although our invention is not thus limited, our supporting mechanism is particularly useful when applied to a ladle or other vessel for dispensing molten steel. An earlier patent of the present coinventor Shapland U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,465 shows a bottom-dispensing vessel which has a sliding gate closure supported on two rows of levers of the first class pivoted to the bottom wall alongside opposite edges of the gate. Compression springs urge the outboard ends of the levers downwardly, while the inboard ends bear upwardly against the gate. The springs allow the levers to yield as the gate undergoes thermal expansion and contraction. Different sections of the gate are solid to close a dispensing outlet in the bottom wall of the vessel. or have nozzle openings to be aligned with the outlet to permit dispensing. The vessel carries a hydraulic cylinder for operating the gate.

The mechanism shown in the patent has operated successfully for vesselswhich have only one outlet, but space limitations have made the mechanism difficult to apply to vessels which have additional outlets. The levers are of a length that there is insufficient room on the bottom wall of the vessel to accommodate four rows of levers for a vessel which has two outlets.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved supporting mechanism which offers the advantages of the mechanism shown in the aforementioned patent, but is more compact and can be used conveniently on a vessel having more than one outlet in its bottom wall.

A more specific object is to provide an improved supporting mechanism of the foregoing construction in which the outer edges of each gate of a closely adjacent pair are supported on pivoted levers similar to those shown in the patent, but the confronting inner edges are supported on a more compact spring operated yoke.

in the drawing:

The single FIGURE is a vertical sectional view of the bottom wall of a bottom-dispensing vessel equipped with our improved mechanism for supporting the closures.

The drawing shows the bottom portion of a bottomdispensing vessel which has a refractory lining l2 and two dispensing outlets l3 and 14. Beneath the outlets the bottom wall of the vessel carries refractory'lined nozzles and 16.

The vessel may be of various types, such as a ladle, a tundish,

or a degassing vessel, and may be ofconventional construction apart from the mechanism which supports the closures for the two outlets. Hence we have not shown the vessel in detail.

The bottom wall of vessel 10 carries two rows of depending tongues 17 and 18 located outwardly of the respective nozzles 15 and 16. Each tongue 17 and 18 carries a respective pivoted lever 19 of the first class. The bottom wall of vessel 10 also carries respective spring housings 20 above the outboard ends of the levers. The upper faces of the levers carry bearing members 2!. Compression springs 22 within the housings 20 bear against members 21 and thus urge the outboard ends of the levers downwardly and the inboard ends upwardly. Conveniently there are three levers 19 in each row, the same as of each row carry respective rails 23. These rails slidably support the outeredges of gates 24-and 25, which underlie the respective nozzles 15 and 16. We have shown gate 24 as providing a nozzle 26 to permit dispensing through nozzle 15, and gate 25 as solid to block nozzle 16, but each gate of course has solid and nozzle sections.

The bottom wall of vessel 10 also carries a plate 29 located between the nozzles 15 and 16. A row of threaded studs 30 and two rows of guideposts 31 depend from plate 29. Studs 30 are located midway between the nozzles and guideposts 31 at either side of the bolts. The studs carry respective bearing plates 32 at their bottom ends. Slidably mounted on the studs above the bearing plates are respective integral yokes 33 and s ring housings 34. Compression s rings 35 within housings 4 bear against the bearing plates 2 and against the tops of the housings and thus urge the yokes 33 upwardly. The spring compression can be adjusted by turning the nuts on studs 30. The yokes have oppositely extending arms which underlie the confronting i'nner edges of gates 24 and 25 and carry rails 36. The gates are slidably supported on these rails. The guideposts 3i prevent longitudinal movement of yokes 33 in the direction of thrust as the gates 24 and 25 are changed and also serve to guide the yokes as they move up and down with thermal expansion and contraction of the gates.

From the foregoing description it seems that our invention affords a relatively compact mechanism for supporting a pair of sliding gate closures on the underside of a bottomdispensing vessel. The yokes which support the inner edges of the gates are of a length approximately equal to one of the levers which support the outer edges. Hence they save approximately the space required for one set of levers. it is apparent also that we can use our novel means for supporting the inner edges of the gates with other forms of support means for the outer edges.

We claim:

1. in a bottom-dispensing vessel which includes a bottom wall having a pair of outlet openings, and respective spacedapart sliding gates underlying said openings and movable in parallel paths to provide selectively closures for said openings and nozzles which permit dispensing therethrough, the combination therewith of a mechanism supporting said gates and comprising two rows of levers of the first class pivoted to said bottom wall alongside the outer edges of the respective gates, spring means urging the outboard ends of said levers downwardly, the inboard ends of said levers providing support for the outer edges of said gates, a row of yokes slidably mounted on said bottom wall in the space between said gates, spring means on the bottom of said vessel urging said yokes upwardly, and guide means on the bottom of said vessel for said yokes, said yokes providing support at their opposite ends for the confronting inner edges of said gates and each being of a length approximately equal to one of the levers which support the outer edges.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the mounting means for said yokes includes a row of studs depending from said bottom wall, bearing plates at the lower ends of said studs, spring housings integral with said yokes, and compression springs within said housings bearing against said bearing plates and against the tops of said housings.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said guide means includes two rows of guideposts depending from saidbottom wall on either side of said studs. 

